Day 30 - Cordoba

 Expecting nothing but rain today and not disappointed! Woke to grey skies , more rain and lots of condensation from the wet clothes.

No need to rush off as rain has set in til mid afternoon at least so breakfast at the van and a bit more mopping up. 

Our overnight stop is on the edge of an industrial estate and not much about, but near to the motorway and a great transit stop with free water/waste that we would definitely use again. 

In Cordoba we had intended to use a car park recommended to us that’s near the zoo, but having seen some worrying reviews about recent vandalism we plump for the pricy aire closer to town. The journey is relatively straightforward as we use the motorway..not something we’ve done often. It’s a bit more ‘bland’ and in the drizzle there’s a stretch that changes from almond trees to crops and we could almost be at home, aside from the occasional hoopoe flying by.

A little dispute with google about exiting the motorway but when we get it right we find the park up easily. It’s shockingly sloping for a park up designed for overnighting and pretty expensive too , particularly as services are all ‘extra’. However, having found the most level pitch we can it doesn’t take long til we have the kettle on. 

The rain is still relentless so we take the opportunity to do some research and warm up in the van . We have tickets to visit the cathedral at 4.30 so head off at 2 ish. It’s literally ten minutes from the car park so we wander the streets for a bit then give in to a Starbucks and our first mug of coffee since we’ve arrived. Great as much of the coffee has been it’s been in tiny cups and a ‘grande’ mug is an expensive treat (about €9 for two!). Nice to be in the warm two even if it feels like we are in some sort of your party as everyone is a tourist mostly Japanese and American. 


The cathedral is a real open jaw experience. It’s vast and we spend some time working out the architectural journey. The moorish sections are much less fussy and gaudy and there’s a pity they aren’t easier to see. 


The central area houses several of the Easter ‘floats’ … again rather too ornate for me but good to see as they appear to be rather more extravagant than those we’ve seen so far. 




We leave the cathedral and wander some more. We see the a number of the key sites, the Roman theatre (undergoing restoration) , the ‘only square bullring in Spain’ (now a pleasant placa of restaurants), the baths, the Calle de Flores   and others. With tomorrow being Monday we’re unlikely to get into any of the museums but good to get a feel for a beautiful city that feels very Spanish and is probably the most touristy place we’ve been (aside from Mojacar perhaps) . After a more Spanish coffee and pastry we hear drum beats and return to the cathedral where we get a good view of yet another Easter parade. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly as it’s Easter Sunday the mood is more buoyant. We are able to see the parade from within the cathedral square as it exits through the bell tower.  We then walk out to the other side of the building where the parade is heading over the Roman bridge now lined with people. The incense seems even heavier here and are both finding it a bit much so after watching for a while longer we have a wander around the back streets before heading back to bed. 

Miles so far: 

Steps today : 14185

Overnight: Area Autocaravannas, Cordoba €24 without facilities (water is an extra!!)


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